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Cisco Government Affairs
E-Update
Volume 2, Issue 23
07 June 2002
Brought to you by Cisco
Government Affairs Online: http://www.cisco.com/gov
This Week@Cisco in Government Affairs
Cisco's E-Update keeps you
up to date on the major policy news of the week. Focusing on broadband,
education and e-government areas, but covering high-tech and telecom in
general, the E-Update is a great source of information for state, federal and
international policymakers. To subscribe, send a message with “subscribe” in
the subject line to “Subscribe-eUpdate@cisco.com
STOCK OPTIONS DISCUSSION –
“QUESTION OF THE MONTH” – JOIN THE COVERSATION - Got an opinion on the stock
options debate? Add it in Cisco
Government Affairs High-Tech Community.
There are plans in Washington and beyond which would make
companies expense stock options, which for many companies could fundamentally
change the way options are issued to all employees. Many companies (including
most high-tech companies) and entrepreneurs have used stock options as
productivity drivers as well as a way for employees to "own" the
company they work for, rather than just "rent." What are your views
on the stock options debate? http://forums.cisco.com/eforum/servlet/HtCom?page=main
STOCK OPTIONS POLL – See the answers of this informal poll on the
distribution of stock options. Do you
have stock options? Do you wish you had
stock options? Take the poll. http://forums.cisco.com/eforum/servlet/HtCom?page=main
This Week@WASHINGTON, DC
SENATOR LIEBERMAN INTRODUCES
BROADBAND BILL - Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joseph
Lieberman, D-Conn., introduced a broadband bill Wednesday that he said would
promote the construction of new, high-speed Internet networks and kick off the
next "sustained surge of economic growth." CongressDaily reports that
the bill would require the administration to craft a national strategy on
broadband within six months of enactment. "Many in Washington have been
focusing, almost myopically, on short-term obstacles to the next small jump in
speed," Lieberman said. "I think we need real vision here."
(National Journal’s Tech Daily – www.nationaljournal.com)
OMB: E-GOV PROJECTS WILL HELP REDUCE BAD PAYMENTS - Bush administration officials expect that two of the
24 e-government initiatives will help the government lower the $20 billion in
erroneous payments agencies made in fiscal 2001. E-Payroll and E-Grants eventually could improve automation and
tracking of money, according to an Office of Management and Budget report
released Friday. The Office of Personnel Management is managing the E-payroll
project, which will consolidate 16 civilian payroll processing systems into
three. E-Grants, managed by the Health
and Human Services Department, will standardize and streamline federal grant
programs. OMB officials estimate the initiative could save the government $1
billion in administrative costs alone. http://www.gcn.com/vol1_no1/daily-updates/18876-1.html
DIGITAL
TV FOUNDERS ON FEARS OF INTERNET PIRACY
- Congress has mandated that television broadcasts in the United States go
digital, but two of the industries involved in that transition are stuck on a
little problem called the Internet. Movie studios worry that digital-TV viewers
will share programs over the Internet, just as many music fans share MP3 files
online. Consumer-electronics companies fear that the studios' proposed piracy
countermeasures would force them to make products that nobody wants to buy.
Yesterday, this gridlock caused a major working group to miss its deadline for
recommending how to stop digital TV broadcasts from being shared over the
Internet. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42099-2002May31.html
HIGH TECH TASK FORCE URGES
PRESIDENT BUSH TO REVERSE PAYROLL TAX ON STOCK OPTIONS, ESPPS - The Senate Republican High
Tech Task Force today urged President Bush to reverse an IRS ruling that would
force employees to pay payroll taxes on the purchase of stock options through
qualified incentive stock options and employee stock purchase plans
(ESPPs). In a letter to the President, members of the Senate Republican High Tech
Task Force wrote that the IRS is imposing this tax increase by act of rule, not
by act of law. “On January 1, 2003,
these regulations will take effect and impose a large, new tax burden on a
system that was designed to save and build ownership equity in their employer,”
the Senators wrote. “We are writing to
request that you direct the Secretary of Treasury to act promptly to stop this
tax grab.” Citing recent stock market
declines, the Senators pointed out that employees could be taxed on income that
may never be received. In addition to
harming employees, they stated that the cost of administering these new taxes
will be so burdensome that employers are likely to stop offering stock programs
of this kind. “Mr. President, your
leadership last year to reduce the tax burden on all Americans produced the
largest tax cut in a generation,” the Senators wrote. “Please do not let IRS bureaucrats reverse your hard-won
gains.” (Senate e-mail)
STATEMENT OF FCC CHAIRMAN
MICHAEL POWELL ON THE ENFORCEMENT BUREAU'S ENHANCED SECTION 271 COMPLIANCE
REVIEW PROGRAM – “As additional Bell Operating Companies receive authority to
provide in-region long-distance service, the FCC is entering a new phase of
section 271 enforcement. The enhanced
Section 271 Compliance Review Program announced today by the Enforcement Bureau
provides for structured compliance monitoring by establishing regularly
scheduled Commission inquiries and carrier submissions on the issues of
greatest concern to the FCC in its decisions granting section 271 authority.
Commission staff will continue to review performance monitoring data and will
serve as points of contact for state public service commissions, competing
carriers, and other interested persons.
Through this program, the Commission continues to demonstrate its
commitment to ensuring that the Bell Operating Companies do not abuse their
local market dominance once they receive long-distance authority.” http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-223159A1.pdf
(Adobe file)
FCC CHAIRMAN MICHAEL K.
POWELL ANNOUNCES FORMATION OF SPECTRUM POLICY TASK FORCE - Chairman Michael K.
Powell has announced the formation of a Spectrum Policy Task Force to assist
the Commission in identifying and evaluating changes in spectrum policy that
will increase the public benefits derived from the use of radio spectrum.
Dr. Paul Kolodzy, Senior Spectrum Policy Advisor, Office of Engineering and
Technology, will head the cross-bureau and multi-disciplinary task force.
Chairman Powell said, “The government has an almost impossible task trying to
keep pace with the ever increasing demand for spectrum and continuing advances
in wireless technology and applications. In this fast-moving world,
the Commission cannot rely on outmoded procedures and policies. We must
establish new ways to support innovation and the efficient, flexible use of
spectrum. While the Spectrum Policy Task Force has a difficult task ahead
of it, I am pleased that it is making significant progress and that it is
moving forward with a work plan.” http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-223142A1.doc,
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-223142A1.pdf,
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-223142A1.txt
STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONERS
KEVIN J. MARTIN AND MICHAEL J. COPPS ON THE SPECTRUM POLICY TASK FORCE’S PUBLIC
NOTICE ON SPECTRUM POLICIES - Spectrum management is one of the Commission’s most
important functions. It requires full Commission attention every step of the
way. Instead, in this proceeding, a newly created task force is seeking comment
on formulating policy on fundamental spectrum management issues without direct
input or oversight by the Commission. Task forces can be a tremendous help to
the Commission in meeting the many challenges we face, from spectrum management
to media ownership to homeland security. But they must always be responsible to
the full Commission as their work proceeds. These are critically important
issues, and we believe they would be better addressed in a Notice of Inquiry
issued by the Commission. We also fear
that without Commission input critical issues may be left out of consideration.
For example, we are concerned and surprised that our obligation to use our
rules to promote service to rural Americans is barely mentioned in the Public
Notice…Accordingly, we believe regulatory certainty and expeditious decision
making would be better promoted – and critical Commission goals like serving
rural America would have been better served – by having the Commission itself
conduct this proceeding.” http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-223170A1.pdf
(Adobe file)
KEY LAWMAKER FAULTS FCC
APPROACH TO ULTRAWIDEBAND - House Energy and Commerce Chairman Billy Tauzin
accused the Federal Communications Commission of blocking ultrawideband (UWB)
devices without sufficient evidence that they will conflict with military systems.
At a recent hearing Tauzin said, "This technology has too many promising
applications to stifle it based on unfounded, and unproven concerns." The
UWB devices work across radio spectrum already licensed to government and
commercial users. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Steven Price
claims that the UWB energy "interferes with very low power signals from
distant sources, such as GPS satellites..." and could interfere with
government airport radars and ground distance-measuring systems. Possible applications
for UWB devices include collision avoidance radars and providing rescue workers
with through-the-wall imaging. Tauzin accepted the military
concerns, but said, "I
want real-world evidence that tells us whether ultrawideband devices, on a
stand-alone or cumulative basis, would cause these things to occur." http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/3406670.htm
COMMERCE DEPUTY ASSISTANT
SECRETARY MICHAEL GALLAGHER'S TESTIMONY ON FCC'S UWB PROCEEDING - Deputy
Assistant Secretary Michael Gallagher's testimony on the FCC's regulations for
authorizing use of ultrawideband(UWB) technology. He describes the
possibilities of UWB technology and the challenges to ensure that UWB signals
do not interfere with government systems. There has been a detailed measurement
and analysis effort to assess the compatibility of UWB devices and global
positioning system (GPS) receivers. The conclusions of the study can be found
on the NTIA Web site. http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/congress/2002/gallagher_uwb_6052002.htm
SUBCOMMITTEE
ON COURTS, THE INTERNET, AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - OVERSIGHT
HEARING ON “DRM: The Consumer Benefits of Today’s Digital Rights Management
Solutions." - June 5, 2002.
Statement by Chairman Coble
- http://www.house.gov/judiciary/coble060502.htm
Statement by Ranking Member
Berman - http://www.house.gov/judiciary/berman060502.htm
Statement by Full Committee
Ranking Member Conyers - http://www.house.gov/judiciary/conyers060502.htm
Statement by Will Poole, VP,
Microsoft - http://www.house.gov/judiciary/poole060502.htm
Witness list: http://www.house.gov/judiciary/courts060502.htm
This
Week@EMEA
SPANISH GOVERNMENT PROMISES
INTERNET FOR ALL BY 2004 - The Spanish Minister for Science and Technology,
Anna Birules, confirmed that Internet access is to be available to all Spanish
citizens by 2004. Last year, only 28
percent of Spanish adults connected to the Internet. Business and organization use of the Internet was at 70 percent.
The government, which has faced much criticism for delays in its ambitious
Information Society plan, estimates that approximately 70 percent of the rural
telecoms network will be upgraded to provide Internet access by the end of
2003. http://www.europemedia.net/shownews.asp?ArticleID=10786
SWEDEN’S
TELIA IN TALKS WITH DENMARK’S TDC - The prospect of further consolidation in
Nordic telecommunications market was raised on Tuesday, when Björn Rosengren,
Sweden's industry minister, said the country's operator Telia was in talks with
TDC, its Danish counterpart. “There
have been discussions over a long time and they continue," Mr Rosengren
said. "As always with these discussions they go up and down, but basically
there is a strong interest." Telia,
70 per cent-owned by the Swedish state, is in the process of linking up with
Finland's Sonera. The deal, if successful, would mark the first cross-border
merger of European telecoms incumbents.
However, most analysts think any talks with TDC are unlikely to bear
fruit in the near future, because Telia needs to focus on cementing its tie
with Sonera. http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1023101460931&p=1012571727260
THE THIRD CONFERENCE FOR THE
INNOVATING REGIONS IN EUROPE (IRE) network will take place on 17-18 June 2002
in Stratford upon Avon (United Kingdom). It is organised by the European
Commission in co-operation with the Regional Development Agency for West
Midlands, Advantage West Midlands. UK Minister for Science and Innovation Lord
Sainsbury, European Commission Director General for Enterprise Fabio Colasanti,
Director for Regional Policy Community initiatives and innovative actions
Elisabeth Helander, and other innovation specialists will present their views
on innovation policies, along with the latest trends and developments in
support for regional innovation in the European Union and in EU Candidate
Countries. http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/02/808|0|RAPID&lg=EN
EUROPEAN
COMMISSION EVENT - High-level European conference to present examples of
good national and regional policies for helping small businesses to Go Digital
(20 June): venue switched from León (Spain) to Brussels The high-level European
conference will examine examples of good national and regional strategies in
support of e-business for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), drawn from
a benchmarking initiative launched under the Go Digital Action Plan as part of
the wider eEurope 2002 initiative. This initiative has been implemented in
close collaboration with the Member States and Norway, with support from the
business community. The conference was originally planned to take place in León
(Spain), the 20 June, but due to a general strike expected in Spain on the same
date, the venue has been switched from León to Brussels. The conference is
organised by the European Commission in close collaboration with the Spanish
Presidency of the Council of the EU, and is foreseen to be openned by Commissioner
Liikanen. It will bring together high level policy makers at national and
regional level, SMEs associations, business organisations, business support
networks and academics, in order to share experiences of good e-business
policies for SMEs - in particular, in the areas of awareness-raising and
training, e-business support networks and promoting Internet platforms for SMEs
- and to discuss what can be learnt from them.
BRUSSELS
ADOPTS HARD LINE ON 3G LICENCES - The European Commission has struck a tough
line on relaxing the conditions for third generation mobile phone licence
holders, after suggesting last year that it would look at making life easier
for the cash-strapped sector. In a draft communication likely to be endorsed by
the full Commission in coming weeks, Brussels says that the "licensing
conditions [for 3G] should not be changed", and labels changes in licence
fees as "clearly counter-productive". It also discounts the idea that
the length of licences should be extended to help telecoms companies roll out
3G services. Last year, the Commission
said it would launch a dialogue with industry and member states to look at
"legal treatment of delays in 3G deployment, with respect to deployment obligations,
licence duration and the impact of simultaneous roll-out requirements in
several member states". But it now
concludes that "extending licence duration appears to have comparatively
little impact on restoring the financial institutions' confidence in the
sector". http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1023101445708&p=1012571727260
This
Week@Asia/Pac
CHINA
EMBRACES THE INTERNET - Manufacturers
will benefit from push to improve global competitiveness. When International
Manufacturing Group Inc. (IMG) began to standardize its computer and Internet
procedures six years ago, the going was rough. The company, which has extensive
operations in China, found the country's Internet infrastructure so slow and
unreliable that e-mails had to be backed up with faxes, and electronically
moving CAD data files was out of the question. They were shuttled between
countries via three-day airmail. Today, however, the Hillsborough,
N.J.-based company considers itself a leader in outsourced product development
and manufacturing in China, largely because of its decade-plus presence there
but in part because improvements in the communications network in China have
enabled IMG to drastically upgrade global Internet-based collaboration.
"We extensively use the Internet in all aspects of our business that
require communication or sharing of information," says Doug Campbell,
IMG's vice president of engineering and operations. "This begins with . .
. new product development through shipping finished product." http://www.industryweek.com/CurrentArticles/Asp/articles.asp?ArticleId=1260
INTERNET
SERVICES RESTORED IN INDIAN KASHMIR -
Indian authorities have restored Internet services in the strife-torn northern
state of Jammu and Kashmir five months after they were withdrawn to stop
separatist militants from communicating with each other. Internet access and
long-distance call services were withdrawn in the Himalayan region in January
after a December attack on the Indian parliament which New Delhi blamed on
Pakistan-based pro-Kashmiri militants. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=582&ncid=582&e=8&u=/nm/20020603/wr_nm/kashmir_internet_dc_1
ASIA PACIFIC IT SERVICES
BUCKS GLOBAL TREND - Despite continued sluggish performance in Europe and the
United States, the Asia Pacific region continues to show healthy growth in the
IT services sector according to Rolf Jester, Gartner chief analyst for IT
services in the Asia Pacific. “The
growth trend in IT services in the Asia Pac region has continued to a large
extent independently of the downturn in some economies within the region,”
Jester said. “It even survived the East Asian economic crisis of 1997, and is
still growing in economies which are still experiencing problems, albeit at a
reduced rate.” Gartner is predicting a
4.2 percent compound growth rate during the next five years across the region,
after it experienced an 8.4 percent growth in 2001. The Australian market,
which holds a third of the overall services market share in the region, grew by
6.4 percent in 2001, and can expect a 10.1 percent growth rate over the next
three years. http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1106-923265.html
This Week@US STATES
BROADBAND BY THE BOOTSTRAPS
- How a group of neighbors built their own high-speed network - If you’ve ever
dreamt about wresting control of your lousy Internet Service Provider, or
wished you could give the phone or cable companies a giant piece of your
addled-by-crappy-customer-service-mind, you will love the following story about
some kindred spirits in the mountains of Summit County, Colo. The neighborhood
is called Ruby Ranch, and just weeks ago, the people who live in these homes
built on a former cattle ranch — where moose roam amid picture postcard
mountain views — got their very own DSL service up and running. That’s because
the phone company, Qwest, had no intention of providing it to the remote
community. Exasperated by their snail-like 26K dial-up connections (there’s no
copper connection to the central phone office) residents decided the only way
they’d get high-speed access was to start a service themselves. “After ten months of frustration,
including litigation, we got them to allow us to use unused wires in our
neighborhood,” said Carl Oppedahl, a patent attorney by day and one of the
masterminds behind the service. By law,
phone companies are not allowed to say no to such an arrangement, but they don’t
exactly make it easy for those who ask. .http://www.msnbc.com/news/761972.asp?0si=-&cp1=1
NEW WIRELESS BROADBAND TECH
TARGETS RURAL MARKET - A commercial wireless broadband service that its
creators contend is the first of its type in the U.S. has been deployed in
Montana, with high-speed connections delivered to the metropolitan Missoula
area. Teewinot Wireless Data,
IPWireless and Internet Connect Services (ICS) said the new network provides
high-speed Internet solutions to businesses and homes in the primarily rural
area. The Teewinot Wireless Data network uses privately licensed MMDS
(multichannel multipoint distribution service) frequencies and third-generation
network technology developed by IPWireless.
Customers using the Teewinot network throughout the greater Missoula
area can connect to the Internet over secure, wireless links using the
IPWireless' pocket-sized, portable modem, the companies said. The plug-and-play portable modem has an
integrated antenna that can be used with a single PC or be connected to a
standard router to provide high-speed service to several computers within an
office or home. The wireless broadband
service is being touted by U.S. Senator Conrad Burns (R-Montana). Senator
Burns, who is co-chairman of the Congressional Internet Caucus and an advocate
of delivering high-speed Internet access to all areas of United States, will
help launch the service from a Missoula golf course. http://www.wirelessnewsfactor.com/perl/story/18040.html
STATES OFF TO GOOD START IN
DIGITAL SURVEY - Five States Tie for First Place - State governments are making
significant progress using digital technologies to improve the delivery of
services and information to their citizens, according to the first installment
of the Digital State Survey for 2002 conducted by the Center for Digital
Government and The Progress & Freedom Foundation. Five states - Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Virginia and Washington
- tied for first place in the social services category, and three states -
Colorado, Kansas and Wisconsin - tied for top honors in the area of law
enforcement and the courts. One state - Kansas - tied for first place
in both categories, and Arizona earned two top-five designations. Illinois and
Utah earned a pair of top-ten rankings. The current snapshot, which will
be followed by two more, will culminate in annual rankings and the presentation
of the 2002 Digital State Award at year's end. Results are based on a
comprehensive survey of chief information officers in the 50 states. http://www.pff.org/publications/POP9.19DigitalStatePart1.pdf
(Adobe file)
PHONE REGULATORS PROPOSE NEW CONSUMER
PROTECTIONS - The California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday proposed
new protections for consumers of phone services, responding to growing
complaints over unfair billing and marketing practices. The proposal, dubbed the Telecommunications
Consumers Bill of Rights, would strengthen rules over providers of
long-distance and local service to homes and small businesses and extend them
to little-regulated wireless companies.
PUC officials said the goals include ensuring consumers have access to
clear marketing information, easy-to-understand phone bills and effective
billing dispute resolution. For example, a carrier would have to respond to a
consumer billing problem within 30 days. The due date for payments must be set
at least 22 days after the bill has been mailed. Carriers must notify
subscribers at least 25 days before proposed service changes that might result
in higher rates. http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/3418062.htm
WORKING WITHOUT A WIRE -
Mobile government lets employees and constituents plug in without the
plug. It’s one of the niftiest toys to
invade city halls and statehouses in the past decade. With a geographic
information system, you can map nearly anything on a computer. Need to locate
every sewer drain within your borders? Click here. Need to know where the
nearest manhole is? Click again. The only problem with GIS is that you typically
have to be sitting in an office in front of a powerful computer to use it.
Field-workers — the ones who might actually be dealing on site with sewer pipes
— are mostly stuck with the same old paper maps and clumsy microfiche readers
that in-office management dumped into the trash years ago. That is changing in
Tacoma, Washington, a pioneer in the use of wireless GIS. Field staff for
Tacoma’s water department now tote laptops with wireless modems and download
electronic maps from their trucks. It is a huge help, especially during
emergencies such as water main breaks, when crews must locate buried valves and
shut them off — quickly. “We get measurements accurate to within six inches,”
says Pam Tucker, a service worker for Tacoma Water. “We get the locations of
pressure zones, catch basins and manholes. We never had such easy access to any
of this information before.” http://governing.com/6wire.htm
OTHER
TECH STORIES OF THE WEEK
MORE
COMPETITION WOULD BOOST BROADBAND, CERF SAYS - Internet pioneer turned ISP exec urges regulatory changes to promote
competition, use of high-speed access. Competition between different broadband
technologies doesn't exist for many Americans, and U.S. telecommunication
regulations should be changed to allow for more competition among providers of
the same kind of service, says an Internet pioneer turned broadband
executive. WorldCom executive and
Internet pioneer Vint Cerf urged greater competition among high-speed Internet
access providers, in a keynote talk here Monday at the Supercomm conference. An
early developer of Internet technology and former MCI Communications executive,
he is now senior vice president of architecture and technology at WorldCom, a
leading provider of long-distance and Internet services. http://www.idg.net/ic_873279_1794_9-10000.html
PUBLIC OR PRIVATE - Book
Review: The struggle for control of the Internet is a modern version of the
range war, says David Bollier. It’s almost human nature:
if you’re allowed the use of something for enough time, you begin to think you
have a right to it, even that you own it. Take broadcast television. Its
signals travel by means of the electromagnetic spectrum, specifically that
segment known colloquially as the airwaves. The spectrum is a fact of the
physical universe. Capital didn’t create it. It can’t be improved by way of
adding value. It’s inherently a public resource. http://www.msnbc.com/news/758513.asp?0si=-
BROADBAND
AS JAMES DEAN - This technology without
a cause desperately needs one. - If ever there was a technology that was a few
light-years before its time, it's broadband. Broadband, in case your eyes
glazed over at the mere mention of the word, generally refers to a faster
Internet connection. The premise for broadband, sometimes called "next
generation Internet," is that consumers need a faster pipe through which
to suck all things digital into their homes, from movies to music to
interactive video games. Investors and businesses sank billions of dollars in
this belief, largely for naught. Vast, expensive networks were built, but
relatively few customers ponied up hard cash to use them. The reason?
There isn't one. No "killer" application for broadband, that is. It's
a technology without a cause. Broadband is the James Dean of high tech,
drag-racing over the Information Superhighway without being really understood
or appreciated. http://www.industryweek.com/CurrentArticles/Asp/articles.asp?ArticleId=1261
TECHNOLOGY GAP AMONG
COLLEGES PERPETUATES 'DIGITAL DIVIDE' IN SOCIETY, EXPERT WARNS - The
"digital divide" in American society is getting worse, not better,
and it is being perpetuated in part by a technology gap between elite and
minority-serving colleges, says Larry Irving, a technology consultant who is a
former U.S. assistant secretary of commerce. Mr. Irving helped prepare the 1995
research report for the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration that first sparked widespread public debate about the digital
divide -- the disparity in access to electronic resources by whites and
minority groups -- and he remains outspoken about the need to develop more
public programs to bring technology access to minority communities. http://chronicle.com/free/2002/06/2002060402t.htm
WILD ABOUT WI-FI - Rising
from the grass roots, high-speed wireless Internet connections are springing up
everywhere. Tune in, turn on, get e-mail. Sometimes for free.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/760402.asp
WHY DOCTORS DON'T E-MAIL -
While more and more doctors are using e-mail to communicate with their patients
many continue to be reluctant to use e-mail as a primary communication tool.
They are concerned about being overwhelmed by patient email, confidentiality
issues, and malpractice liability. According to a survey by Harris
Interactive only 15 percent of doctors use e-mail to communicate with patients.
While concerns remain around what kinds of information should be transmitted in
e-mail, several medical groups, including the Permanente Medical Group have
developed e-mail guidelines and encourage physicians to communicate with
patients via email. Doctors must tell patients who else has read the message,
archive the messages, and include only non-sensitive information in the emails.
Dr. Robert Pearl, executive director and chief executive of the Permanente
Medical Group said, "My sense is that 90 percent of our physicians will
embrace this technology." Ninety percent of the patients polled in the
Harris survey would like to communicate with their doctors via email and more
than a third suggested they would pay a fee. http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/06/technology/circuits/06DOCS.html
(Free registration required)
NEW WEB SITE PROVIDES
RESOURCES FOR EMPOWERING POOR COMMUNITIES - The Children's Partnership with the
Markle Foundation have launched the Contentbank, a new Web site providing
low-income communities with content designed fro their unique needs.
Laurie Lipper, co-director of The Children's Partnership said, "We've seen
first hand that low-income residents are eager to take advantage of the
educational and employment opportunities on the Internet, and that community
technology groups offer an ideal way to connect them with the information they
need. Contentbank.org is both a service and a lever to ensure that the Internet
benefits low-income and underserved users." The Web site includes twenty recommended
Web sites for health, education, jobs and housing, discussion boards,
information and tools to develop local content, and software tools that will
read the content in a variety of languages to ensure the content is accessible
to many communities. http://www.digitaldividenetwork.org/content/stories/index.cfm?key=232
SUPERCOMM:
CHAMBERS DISCUSSES CISCO'S POSITION IN THE SERVICE PROVIDER MARKET - The percentage of Cisco's revenue from service
providers has been halved during the current downturn, from just over 40% to
the mid- to low-20% range. Yet a market research firm just disclosed that Cisco
currently sells more telecom gear than anyone, including the traditional suppliers.
But the company still has room for improvement in the service provider market,
as CEO John Chambers discusses in an exclusive SuperComm interview with Network
World Managing Editor Jim Duffy. http://www.nwfusion.com/edge/news/2002/0606chambers.html
FAILURES
PERSIST IN KEY AREAS OF E-COMMERCE - The rise of the dotcoms sent a wave of panic through
established companies and prompted a mad rush to set up e-commerce sites. Never
before have so many companies adopted a new technology in such a short time -
and with one single strategic thought in mind: stop the dotcoms. The dotcoms fizzled, but e-commerce is here
to stay, and for established companies the most important lesson of the rush to
emulate the dotcoms is that internal integration is a prerequisite for any
electronic business application - from collaborating with partners, to feeding
through supply chain information, or selling over the internet. To be successful, e-business sites must be
tethered to the back-end systems that provide and process whatever is being
offered to the customer, supplier or business partner. Furthermore, since
clients are inclined to cross channels, using a combination of web sites, call
centres, fax, or face-to-face contact, the systems supporting these channels
must be integrated, too. http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1023101469298&p=1012571727248
FACTS AND STATS:
FEELING OUT MONTHLY
BROADBAND FEES - According to the latest report from ARS, Inc., the average
monthly fee for cable broadband in the US rose from $43.21 in December 2001 to
$44.95 in March 2002. The average monthly fee for asymmetric digital subscriber
line (ADSL) also rose from $51.09 in December 2001 to $51.82 in March 2002.
Compared to Q4 2001, however, the percentage of broadband providers offering
promotions or discounts increased in Q1 2002. http://www.emarketer.com/estatnews/estats/broadband/20020605_ars.html?ref=ed
Harris Interactive reports that the number of people
in the US going online for health information has risen from 54 million in 1998
to 110 million as of March 2002. Harris dubs people who look for health
information online "cyberchondriacs" and also finds that as of 2002,
there are 48 million in Japan and 31 million in Germany looking for health
information online. http://www.emarketer.com/estatnews/estats/edemographics/20020604_harris.html?ref=ed
LEARNING ONLINE IS A HIT
WITH UK PARENTS - PC Advisor reports that a large number of UK parents feel the
Internet is just as important as traditional resources for their child's
learning. http://www.nua.ie/surveys/index.cgi?f=VS&art_id=905358006&rel=true
DTV IN TWO-THIRDS OF
EUROPEAN HOMES BY 2008 - A new study from Strategy Analytics indicates that
digital TV will be in 73 percent of European homes by 2008. http://www.nua.ie/surveys/index.cgi?f=VS&art_id=905358012&rel=true
TWO-THIRDS OF ONLINE KOREANS
USE NET BANKING - The Korea Times reports that the number of Internet banking
users in South Korea reached 5.3 million at the end of 2001. http://www.nua.ie/surveys/index.cgi?f=VS&art_id=905358001&rel=true
JAPANESE ONLINE POPULATION
EXPECTED TO SOAR - JapanCorp.Net reports that over 100 million Japanese people
are expected to have Internet access by 2005.
http://www.nua.ie/surveys/index.cgi?f=VS&art_id=905357997&rel=true
MORE SOUTH AFRICANS TO GET
ONLINE THIS YEAR - One in fifteen South Africans had Internet access by the end
of 2001, according to a new report from World Wide Worx. http://www.nua.ie/surveys/index.cgi?f=VS&art_id=905358016&rel=true
For Facts and Stats on the
New Economy, visit our Facts and Stats
page. Also, see our special State of
the Internet report on this page. For daily, topical Facts and Stats visit our Hot In Tech page.
CISCO GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS@2002
Cisco’s top policy focuses
for 2002 are the areas of Education, Broadband Deployment and eGovernment. To read or listen to our thoughts on these
issues, please visit our Government Affairs home page
or our visit our multimedia section. http://www.cisco.com/gov/multimedia/index.html
E-UPDATE ARCHIVE
To view past issues of
Cisco’s Government Affairs E-Update, visit our E-Update Archive page. http://www.cisco.com/gov/archive/eupdates/index.html
DISCLAIMER
Positions in articles and
papers from outside sources are in no way endorsed by Cisco Systems' Office of
Government Affairs. We offer articles on topics of interest to our
audience to further the debate on the issues that are important to high-tech. To view our positions on the policy matters
that we care about, please visit our Government Affairs homepage.
– http://www.cisco.com/gov
CISCO.COM/GOV AND E-UPDATE FEEDBACK
As we continue to build out
Cisco’s Government Affairs web site, as well as this service, this E-Update, we
welcome comments, criticisms, praise and suggestions. Please send any
feedback to John Earnhardt at jearnhar@cisco.com.
To contact any member of the
Government Affairs team, please visit our “Contact Us” page. http://www.cisco.com/gov/contact/index_ext.html
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